About Us
The goal of the Five Counties Salmonid Conservation Program (5C) is to seek opportunities to contribute to the long-term recovery of salmon and steelhead in Northern California. 5C is a project of the Northwest California Resource Conservation & Development Council.

• Governance
• History
• Future Direction
• Program Funding
• 5C Board of Directors
• County Contacts

Governance
The 5C is a program of the Northwest California RC&D Council. Direction is guided by the 5C Executive Committee, which is comprised of one or two Board of Supervisors from each member county along with the Council President. The Executive Committee makes recommendations to the Council about the 5C Program.

History
The five Northwestern California Counties of Del Norte, Humboldt, Mendocino, Trinity and Siskiyou have historically been a haven for salmonid species in Northern California. But salmonid populations dwindled and in response to the 1997 listing of the coho salmon as a threatened species, the Five Counties Salmonid Conservation Program was created. The Program was housed at Trinity County until 2009, when it transferred to the Northwest California Resource Conservation & Development Council, a 501c(3) non-profit.

Since 5C began work, 65 migration barriers have been improved from 1998-2013, restoring access to 146 miles of habitat; 2,455 miles of roadway have been inventoried for sediment sources and treatments; and, "A Water Quality and Stream Habitat Protection Manual for County Road Maintenance in Northwestern California Watersheds" (Roads Manual) has been written and implemented within the Program Area. The Roads Manual is considered a guide and framework for implementing improved road maintenance practices and has received ESA approval under the NMFS 4(d) rule.

Of the many 5C accomplishments, the commitment to working across political boundaries is perhaps the most valuable. County leaders and program managers clearly understand the value of long-term relationships forged internally and with State, Federal, and Local agencies. This forward-thinking Program understands that the future of County government requires meeting new challenges and reconciling the needs of natural resource conservation while preserving economic activities and setting the foundation upon which the next generation may build. 5C projects have received recognition for design innovations. The Program itself also received the 2003 Governor's Environmental and Ecomonic Leadership Award (GEELA).

Future Direction
The Program will continue to promote improved understanding and support for road-related conservation and restoration efforts by providing roads, salmon, and water quality workshops, fish passage engineering training, and planning and policy meetings for County and other agency staff. 5C is becoming more involved in land use planning and urban stream restoration efforts. By providing incentives to private landowners for maintaining riparian setbacks, as well as working with County Planning Departments to integrate specific protections into their general plans, habitat and water quality and quantity can be improved and conserved.

With the Program's transition from Trinity County to the Northwest CA RC&D Council, the 5C looks forward to expanding public-private partnerships in order to achieve conservation on a broader scale.

Program Funding
Since its inception, the Five Counties Salmonid Conservation Program has primarily been funded through grants, with in-kind matching funds coming from the individual counties. This website would not have been possible without the support of the Fisheries Restoration Grant Program administered by the CA Department of Fish & Game. 5C has been fortunate to work with various agencies and organizations dedicated to the restoration of salmonid habitat in Northwestern California. We would like to thank the following for their invaluable support:

• American Rivers
• California Coastal Conservancy
• California Department of Fish and Wildlife (formerly Department of Fish and Game) Fisheries Restoration Grant Program (FRGP) & SB 271
• California Office of Emergency Services
• California Resources Agency
• California State Parks Habitat Conservation Fund
• California State Water Resources Control Board Proposition 204
• Clean Water Act 319h Grant Program
• For the Sake of Salmon
• Integrated Water Management Grants, Proposition 40
• National Fish and Wildlife Foundation
• North Coast Resource Partnership, which facilitates region-wide state bond and other funds
• NOAA's National Marine Fisheries Service
• NOAA Open Rivers
• Trinity County Resources Advisory Council, USDA Forest Service
• Trinity County Resource Conservation District
• Trinity River Restoration Program Watershed Grants Program under the Bureau of Reclamation
• USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS)
• United States Fish and Wildlife Service

5C Staff

5 Counties Salmonid Conservation Program
40 Horseshoe Lane/PO Box 2183
Weaverville, CA 96093-2183
Phone: (530) 623-3967

Mark Lancaster, Executive Director
(530) 623-3967 x701

Sandra Perez, Program Manager
(530) 623-3967 x702

Arthur Reeve, Engineer
(530) 623-3967 x700

Scott Waite, Engineer
(530) 623-3967 x700

Vacant, Assistant Engineer
(530) 623-3967 x703

Lesli Mounivong, Project Coordinator
(530) 623-3967 x704

Vacant, Office Manager
(530) 623-3967 x700

Kayla Blanchard, Account Clerk
(530) 623-3967 x705

During the COVID-19 pandemic, please contact staff by email as we are often working flexible schedules and sometimes remotely. Please visit our parent non-profit website Northwest CA RC&D Council for recruitment notices.

Northwest CA RC&D Council/5C Board Officers

5C is a program of the:
Northwest California Resource Conservation & Development Council
40 Horseshoe Lane/PO Box 2183
Weaverville, CA 96093-2183
Phone: (530) 623-3967 x700

Gerry Hemmingsen
President

Steve Madrone
Vice President

Greg Lowden
Secretary

Patrick Truman
Treasurer

County Contacts:

Del Norte County

Heidi Kunstal
Director
Del Norte Community Development Department
(707) 464-7254

Richard Mello
Roads Superintendent
Del Norte Community Development Department
(707) 464-7238

Humboldt County

Tom Mattson
Director, Humboldt County Public Works
(707) 445-7491

Robert Bronkall
Deputy Director of Roads, Humboldt County Public Works
(707) 445-7205

John Ford
Director, Humboldt County Planning & Building Dept
707-445-7541

Mendocino County

Howard Dashiell
Director, Mendocino County Department of Transportation
(707) 463-4363

Engineer, Mendocino County Department of Transportation
(707) 463.4363

Brent Schultz
Director, Mendocino County Planning & Building Services
(707) 234-6650

Siskiyou County

Thomas Deany
Director, Siskiyou County Public Works
(530) 842-8250

Hailey Lang
Deputy Director, Siskiyou County Planning Department
(530) 841-2100

Trinity County

Panos Kokkas
Director, Trinity County Department of Transportation & Planning
(530) 623-1365

Vacant
Deputy Director, Trinity County Planning Department
(530) 623-1351

Andrew Pence
Engineer, Trinity County Department of Transportation
(530) 623-1365

Skylar Fisher
Associate Planner, Trinity County Planning Department
(530) 623-1351

The Northwest California RC&D Council prohibits discrimination in all its programs and activities on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, disability, and where applicable, sex, marital status, familial status, parental status, religion, sexual orientation, genetic information, political beliefs, reprisal, or because all or a part of an individual's income is derived from any public assistance program.  To file a complaint of discrimination write to Northwest California RC&D Council, P. O. Box 2183, Weaverville, CA 96093-2183.

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Leaping Steelhead image at top of page courtesy of Jill K. Duffy, all rights reserved